Humdingers of the Grid City

Recently

(thanks to a tip-off from bloggy friend, and talented N.Z. artist Sally Reynolds)

I was lucky enough to discover the photographic work of Nicholas Burrowes. In particular his Hum Dingers of the Grid City pics, which capture the concrete loveliness and hard edged sculptural beauty, of Christchurch's Modernist commercial buildings simply, elegantly and honestly.

Hum Dingers is a tribute (some of the buildings, sadly long gone) to the Brutalist architecture some of us love (and the rest of us love to hate. Ahem!) And Nicholas doesn't call them hum dingers for nothing! To say they took my breath away when I looked at them would be a huge understatement - they moved me to such an extent that I contacted Nicholas to ask him if I could share them here with you (a big deal for someone shy like me). I'm happy to say Nicholas very kindly agreed "help yourself and post anything you need", so if you've got a soft spot for Brutalist architecture - or even if you haven't (and why not?), you're in for a treat...

171 Main North Road

7 Whiteleigh Avenue

(originally The Wool Exchange, designed by Sir Miles Warren)

O Bridge Street

(racecaller's box at the Pleasant Point Yacht Club. Since demolished. I love this one, it reminds me of a bird house)

55 Sandyford Street

Here's how it could hang at your place





These are just a few of Nicholas's "hum dingers". You won't be disappointed if you take the time to check out the rest of them, and you can, here. You can also have a bit of a sticky-beak at some of Christchurch's residential hum dingers on the fabulous Christchurch Modern (a bit like our own Modernist Australia - which I'm happy to say, is now back online).

One more to end

43 St Martins Road

(St Martins Presbyterian Church, designed by Ernst Plishke)

As always, thanks for reading, and thank-you to Sally and Nicholas for giving me something to write about.

p.s. it would be remiss of me not to mention Thomas Ryan here - Thomas is a Tasmanian photographer whose awesome photography documents Mid-Century, Art Deco and Brutalist buildings in Australia. You've got to check out "Marjoy"



Another One Bites The Dust!

The sad demise of Perth's FESA building.

A rant.

As a West Australian who is not a Philistine (see December 29 post on Modernist Australia's facebook page), and a lover of Brutalist architecture, I feel it would be remiss of me not to mention the continued lack of foresight by the big-wigs who make decisions in our state.

image via Modernist Australia

This is the Fire and Emergency Services building, built in 1979. Feast your eyes on its concrete magnificence while you can, because it's about to bite the dust to make way for another five star hotel. While I know it's probably not everyone's cup of tea - it is a very special building which (i.m.o.) should be preserved as a rare (and beautiful) example of architecture of its type. There are not many buildings like this (left) here in the West.

There is a history of stuff like this happening in Perth. So many amazing buildings gone and forgotten, because, in a nutshell, money talks. In the 80's I went to school in the heart of the city, and even then as an ignorant teenager I knew it wasn't a good thing when I noticed the wanton destruction of lovely old buildings around me. And there were many of them - their replacements, for the most part, truly diabolical!

Unfortunately the FESA building missed out on a heritage listing, the new hotel destined to replace it is a done deal. What a shame. People are gonna scratch their heads about this decision one day...some of us already are.

Thanks for reading x





image via (interesting article too)  

Clowning Around

   
via the always fabulous messy nessy chic (seriously, this blog never disappoints i.m.o.) Source

I saw this pic and had to share it. Nice (intriguing) to see the much maligned clown get a bit lot of love for a change. Could you decorate your bathroom like this? Would you be bold enough, or does it scare the life out of you? The 'experts' say every home needs a bit of quirk, but do you think this is taking it just a bit too far? Just wondering...

Speaking of bathrooms, we still don't have one! I'll keep you posted x

p.s. actually, current circumstances in mind, this one is starting to look good!


  

I've got the renovation blues. Big time.

We are in the mist

 (not a typo - although fog would be a better word.  Think pea-souper*, that'll give you the right idea)

of a renovation dis-ARSE-ter!!! (this is not a typo either in case you were wondering...)

And it all sounded so good...ON PAPER!

We have been without a proper bathroom for close to three months, washing in a bucket outside for almost two (apart from a glorious four day respite which we had to put an end to because we discovered our new taps were leaking into the adjoining laundry wall). As I type I have absolutely no idea of when our "7 - 10 day job" will be finished, and I'm starting to get just a bt cross.

Do you get that?

Christmas, and the weeks leading up to it mostly sucked (due to the above). There were no decorations at our place, no merry-making either, just misery - and the smell of the great unwashed! 
'Pollyanna' (that'll be me, ha-ha!) has left the building. That's fo sho!

My Mum always told me "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" so I won't go into details. Yet. I might, if I'm pushed. I will say however, making your tradie lates, picking up his dog's poop (sometimes having to scrape it off the leaves of your Liriopes and continental Parsley!), positioning a fan directly in front of him so that he can work in comfort - I could go on (and on!) here - does not necessarily guarantee that you are going to get a good or timely result!

So there you have it. What I've been up to since my last post. Grand Designs on a budget, but just as upsetting. There are worse things in life (I know, I've been through them), but at the moment, shallow as it makes me sound, it doesn't feel like it. 

Rant over. Thanks for reading. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead - I'm determined to have one, all of the above aside.

Wondering if I should hit the publish button...

Damn it I'm going to! It'll make me feel better - even if it's only for a little while.

Kylie

xxx

* pea-souper

piːˈsuːpə(r)/

noun

BRIT.informal

1. 1.

   a very thick yellowish fog.

   "he was alone in one of London's infamous pea-soupers"
2. 
   

p.s. I've just started to muck around a tiny bit on instagram. I don't know how to find you, or how you find me, what tagging is, anything really(!), but for what it's worth my instagram thingy has the same name as my blog...I'd love to follow you if you make it easy for me...

Happy Christmas

and to all of mine (ahem!) too x

(image via)

Anthony:

great taste in chairs,

(no fancy, retro Instagram filters involved here - this is the real deal)



Women Woman (obviously, ha-ha!),

and Australian Pottery.

Feast your eyes on the contents of a little pressie he gave me few
days ago:

1960's/1970's Eric Juckert dish

 

(there's a United Nations of pottery on our sidey. Handsome Germans, good-looking Italians, your Nana's pottery class rejects - they're all welcome at our place!)

 

look at that beautiful ox blood coloured glaze

 

1960's/1970's Eric Juckert vase

 

(I picked up the little boy mould at a local oppy a couple of days ago. Creepy? I don't think so, although others do...) 

 

this piece has a gorgeous olive green underglaze beneath the black

 

Lucky girl aren't I?!

 

Anth bought them from Australian Pottery at Bemboka. They've got a very nice Ellis Charger for sale as I type (and a small cat too btw - everyone loves these at the moment) If you're interested, you can see them here.

 

The Rameking has written a very informative post about Eric Juckert here if you would like more info.

 

I have also gone crazy (to the tune of fifty cents!) and bought myself a little pressie of the pottery variety -

 

the little mustard vase on the left. I'm not sure if it's W.German or a wanna be?

 

It's got the right texture and I love the colour, so who care's right?!

 

(another multi-cultural still-life, this time on our kitchen table)

 

Thanks for reading.

 

After Frocktober, I feel like I'm starting this blog all over again. From the beginning...I'll plod along for a while and see how I go. The heart is willing, the brain? well, that's another matter. Entirely.

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

  

Frocktober Honour Roll

Before I sign-off for a while,

(I will pop back down the track to show you our kitchen reno Mel - and our bathroom and laundry when they're finally finished too! I've decided to continue blogging although somewhat sporadically, instead of out and out quitting like I did a couple of months ago. I've really enjoyed 'chatting' to you all again, and I'd miss you if I stopped completely)

I would like to say thank-you to all of the lovely people who sponsored my Frocktober effort. They are (in no particular order):

Gillian, Lea, Jay, Sally, Rachel, Donna, Anita, Fiona, Sian, Patti, Annie, Claire (NZ), Leisa, Helga, Hannapat, Rebecca, Vanessa, Sarah (WA), Bernice, Tania, Julianne, Nelly (Vic), Angie, Nadya, Jane, Linda, Imogen, Mel, Max, Terry and Maryse, Daisy, Claire (UK), Nelly (WA), Gaye, Pippa, Sally, Bron, Carmel, Anne, Sandy, Sarah, Sue, Tove, Dana, Curtise, Gaye (my sister), Woolfy, Tam, Vicki, Zara, Tanya, Claire O, Adelaide (my gorgeous daughter), Vicky, Megan, Al, Loo and Anth.

I hope I haven't missed anyone. Please let me know if I have and I will add your name to the list.

Posing in front of my Dad's broad bean crop in my tutu-esque first holy communion dress, 1972. I got in so much trouble for getting my socks dirty.

 

I would also like to thank:

 

the frock shoppers: Lea, Julianne, Allana, Vicky and Em.

 

my gorgeous Guest Frocksters: Georgia-Rose, Nelly, Curtise, Vanessa, Helga, Julianne, Donna, Dana, and Sue.

 

my beautiful Prom Queens: Al, Carmel and Pippa.

 

My sister Tricia and I, frocked-up for flower girl duties, 1971.

 

the sharers: ace fellow bloggers for spreading the word and sharing a link back to mine: Julianne, Donna, Pippa, Linda, Carmel, Vanessa, Curtise, Claire, Gillian, Sally, Anne, Georgia-Rose, Tove, Al and Eilis.

 

and my photographers (sometimes make-up artistes): Anth, Adelaide and Annabel.

 

 

So Frocktober's done and dusted.

 

Wearing a frock a day and dabbing a bit of lippy on was easy. Having my photo taken (and publishing it) was (and still is) challenging, but your supportive comments and generous donations made it much easier. At the end of the day we raised a lot of money for research into ovarian cancer. 2000 bucks. We did good, and I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks guys x

Bridesmaid, 1976. Check that carpet!

 

I'll end with this quote from Annie Hall (1977):

 

"Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, I loave you, I luff you"    

 

Alvy Singer (Woody Allen)

 

p.s. if you decide to frock-up for Frocktober next year, I've got your back, okay.